


13 Going on 1500

by gwenstcy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Multiple chapters, Slow Burn, bruce works at blockbuster bc they still exist, early 2000s, specifically 13 going on 30, thor loves rom coms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-02 21:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14553534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenstcy/pseuds/gwenstcy
Summary: Bruce works at Blockbuster and hates his life. Thor is new to this world and wishes to find what is so special about the movies Midguardians speak of. He becomes obsessed with 13 Going on 30 and rents it no less than seven times from Bruce, who questions the movie choice but enjoys the weird's man consistent presence at the store nonetheless.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There aren't enough ThorBruce fics out there so I thought I'd make one based off this au: “you’ve rented this movie at least 7 times now, you’re cute but i seriously worry about your taste in films” au

Bruce groaned as his 7:00 alarm jolted him awake from his blissful dream state. As he slipped back into consciousness, the contentment he felt from his dream slipped away. He tried to grasp for the feeling, but it soon disappeared, as did all memory of the dream itself. 

“Goddamnit,” Bruce thought to himself. He rarely felt calm and happy, and now he couldn’t even remember why he did. 

Ever since the Hulk became an agonizing part of Bruce’s life, he struggled for ways to keep the monster at bay and his own rageful feelings under control. Very few methods actually worked for him, and most failed once the anger became too strong. He had been seriously struggling lately, especially since the incident with his last job.

He sighed and rolled out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, only managing to make his face look more tired in the process. He pulled the ugly blue polo and slacks out of the closet and attempted to mentally prepare himself for another day at Blockbuster Video.

Yes, Bruce Banner, celebrated nuclear physicist and proud owner of 7 PhDs works at an establishment where his coworkers’ biggest problem is passing Algebra I. Unfortunately, this was the only place of work that would accept him after he was fired from his last job. Let’s just say the other guy was involved and leave it at that.

Bruce has been working at his new job for two months now, and he’s great at it, but that’s not saying much seeing as a trained monkey could do it. He doesn’t understand why people still visit the store to rent scratchy copies of movies that only work about half of the time. He especially doesn’t understand one frequent visitor. 

An odd man has been by the store at least once a week for almost as long as Bruce has been working there. The weirdest part is; he rents the same movie every time. How nuts is that? Why doesn’t the guy just buy the movie? Bruce has a hard time giving him too much flack though, because he is inhumanly gorgeous. 

When Thor Odinson first walked into the store, it was as if he brought the sunshine with him. Everything about him was golden and jovial, and Bruce couldn’t help but let some of it rub off on him. He was seriously ripped too, more so than Bruce had ever seen who still maintained a kind face. His size wasn’t scary like a lot of bodybuilders, Thor pulled it off like he would give great bear hugs. He sauntered into the store with a smile and a nod to Bruce, who instantly melted. 

Bruce wasn’t one to be easily smitten, and certainly wasn’t one for romance, but when this god of a man walked into the store, well...he felt young again. 

Bruce watched as the man intently pondered the rows and rows of films, pointedly skipping over the horror section with a disgusted face, lingering for a minute at the comedies before he made his final stop in...the rom coms.  
Out of all the sections in the store, this was the one Bruce hated the most. He often had to deal with young girls asking which movie is better, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Clueless. He was beyond helpless when it came to these kinds of questions, and was embittered towards the entire genre. The lighthearted tone mixed with true love and happy endings made him furious. None of that crap happens in real life! The worst part, is with seeing these movies, Bruce is reminded that he will always be alone.

Lost in thought, Bruce is startled when the beefcake slams his movie at the counter with a lot more force than necessary. 

“Oh, I apologize, did I frighten you?” His voice was deep and smooth, with a light accent Bruce couldn’t quite place. 

“That’s ok, I wasn’t paying attention.” Bruce was always one to place the blame on himself. He snuck a glance at the man in front of him now that he was up close and quickly looked away when he saw those piercing blue eyes fixated on him. A brush crawled across Bruce’s face as he saw the man’s apparent amusement out of the corner of his eye. 

“13 Going on 30, huh?” Bruce asked, although it was not really a question. Anything to break the silence and this beautiful man staring right at him. 

“Yes, have you seen it? It seems like a lovely tale.” He spoke loudly and never took his eyes off of Bruce.

Bruce felt like he couldn’t avoid eye contact at this point, and finally forced himself to look the customer right in the eyes. The man’s smile instantly widened at the eye contact. “No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard it’s good, if you like that sort of thing.” Bruce had a slight frown playing on his face, though it was hard when this man was grinning like it was the best day of his life.

“It seems as though you do not like ‘that sort of thing’.” 

“No, can’t say I’m a huge fan of romantic comedies.”

“Whyever so not?” Whyever did this man speak like he was in a Shakespeare play?

“They’re completely unrealistic.” Bruce shook his head and broke the gaze. Why did this guy care?

“You think so?” He looked crestfallen, and Bruce felt awful for ruining his happiness.  
“People just don’t love each other like that.” Bruce had never experienced real love. Sure, he had dated some, but he never found anyone who he cared about as much as his experiments. He also had always lived with the crushing fear of never being as loved as he loved the other, which kept him from ever truly loving anyone. 

“I hope you find a woman who makes you believe otherwise, my friend.” Bruce shook his head at this.

“A man, perhaps?” Bruce’s eyes widened.

“Oh, oh no, that’s n-not what I meant…” Bruce trailed off embarrassed.

“No it is alright, I believe we should be free here to love whomever we please. Where I’m from, I have taken many a lover, whether they be male or female.” He said it with an air of such nonchalance, Bruce couldn’t believe it. 

“Um, how are you paying today? Cash or card?” He couldn’t think of anything else to say and wanted this interaction to end before he embarrassed himself even further.

The customer handed Bruce his card with a smile, and their fingers brushed as they exchanged the object, making Bruce jump. His hands were so warm, yet it was freezing outside. Come to think of it, the man wasn’t dressed for the cold at all, only wearing jeans and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

“Ok, you’re all set. Enjoy the movie...Thor?” Bruce looked at the man’s card for his name and was surprised by what he saw. This person just got weirder and weirder. The weirdest thing though, was that Bruce was finding him more and more attractive. 

“Have a glorious day Bruce.” Thor’s eyes glanced at his nametag and once again rested on Bruce, who was holding the card out with the edge of his fingers so as to avoid physical contact. Somehow, Thor’s fingertips brushed against Bruce’s and a shock was emitted. This gorgeous creature wasn’t touching Bruce on purpose, was he? And his beautiful smile and unyielding eye contact wasn’t anything special, was it?

All Bruce knew was that he was enthralled with Thor Odinson, and anxiously awaited his return. 

...

To Bruce’s surprise, Thor came back not once, but multiple times over the course of the next month. The first time he came back, he seemed even more overjoyed than when he had first come in, if that was even possible. Bruce was restocking movies, and didn’t realize anyone else was in the store until a large hand clapped his shoulder, causing him to jump a mile in the air and for all of the movies to go flying out of his arms.

“Oh no, I frightened you again!” Thor had his hair pulled back into a ponytail today, and was sporting a tank top with sweatpants that were far too tight in the crotchal region. “Allow me to help you.” Thor crouched down to pick up the fallen DVDs and Bruce could not move on account of Thor’s ass being sprawled out in front of him. Good lord, did those pants have to be so tight? Soon, all the movies were gathered into his large arms. 

“May I assist you in placing these where they belong?” Bruce was stunned. Why was he so nice?

“Uh, no, no. That’s my job.” Bruce offered Thor a small, self-conscious smile and the man practically beamed back at them. 

“May I tell you my thoughts about the film as you do your job then?” Thor looked like he was going to burst if he didn’t tell anyone, so Bruce obliged.

“Why not?” Bruce led Thor over to another section of the store to sort DVDs and the excited man chattered on. 

“Why, it was wonderful! The young girl wished she was an adult, and she magically became one! The Jennifer Garner actress was marvelous and I enjoyed her learning all the new things about the world! I too am learning a lot here in America. Her friend from youth was the actor Mark Ruffalo. Bruce! You know you look quite like him!” Thor’s volume increased when he bellowed Bruce’s name in realization, causing him to jump again. 

“Oh yeah? Is he a handsome guy?” Bruce knew what Mark Ruffalo looked like of course, he was only joking. But also, he was dying to know if Thor found him attractive. He knew he shouldn’t get himself into this mess, but Bruce tended to cause trouble for himself.

“Extremely.” Thor bent down to Bruce, who was placing a movie in its row, and looked him dead in the eyes, a serious expression on his face. Bruce gulped and laughed nervously. Did Thor really just say he was extremely attractive? No, he said Mark Ruffalo was extremely attractive. But if he thinks Bruce looks like him then...Bruce couldn’t wrap his head around this, not now. 

“So are you going to rent another rom com for tonight?” Bruce asked, struggling to keep the shakiness out of his voice.

“Oh no, I rather enjoy this one.”

“Wait, you’re going to watch the same movie again?”’ Bruce glanced back up at Thor with a confused expression on his face almost forgetting what just happened due to the idea of watching 13 Going on 30 two nights in a row.

“Yes, is that not a normal activity?” Thor cocked his head to the side, reminding Bruce of a puppy dog.

“Not exactly...but if you like it, go for it.” 

Thor smiled and soon left the store, but not before profusely thanking Bruce and clapping him on the back once again. Bruce thought it was odd how touchy he was, but he couldn’t complain. He don’t know why this weird giant stepped into his life, and though he made Bruce nervous and he knew nothing could ever happen between them, it was nice to have a little brightness in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the first installment of this fic! Please, please, please leave comments and let me know what you think! <3 hmu on tumblr @oscorp


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Thor's blockbuster adventures continue!

“Bruce, hello? Are you listening to me?” His roommate waved a hand in front of Bruce’s dazed eyes.

“I’m sorry, Steve, it’s nothing.” Bruce shook his head. It was one thing that Thor invaded his thoughts at work, always wondering if he was going to walk through the door, but at home? This was becoming too much for him.

“No, it isn’t. You need to talk to me. You seem really stressed out and you and I both know that’s not good.” Steve stated sternly, but softened at Bruce’s expression. “Look, I just want you to be okay. I know this isn’t easy, I’m just trying to help.” 

Bruce sighed and finally complied, he had to get this off his chest. “There’s this guy…” Bruce barely started his sentence before Steve jumped up in his chair.

“Really, Bruce? That’s fantastic! Does he know about your...situation?”

“No, no, it’s not like that. He’s just a customer. But, he’s beautiful and he’s kind and really weird...but I’m sure he doesn’t feel anything for me. Even he did, I couldn’t put him in danger.” Bruce swirled his spoon around his bowl of cereal, watching the flakes solemnly. 

“You can’t think like that Bruce. The Hulk would make things a little more difficult for sure, but you at least have to try. Life’s too short.” Steve smiled encouragingly, but Bruce just shot him down.

“Look who’s talking.” He mumbled and Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m sorry, this is just really frustrating for me.” 

“Tell me about him.”

Bruce hesitantly launched into an explanation of Thor Odinson, how he always offered to help Bruce, would stay to talk for much longer than necessary, the odd and open things he says, and finally, the one movie he continually checks out.

“13 Going on 30? Seriously?” Steve laughed heartily.

“I know! He seems to genuinely believe it’s a beautiful romance.”

“Well, Bruce. He sounds really cute and he obviously cares about you, whether it be romantically or friendly. I think you should ask him out.” 

“You know I can’t do that.” Bruce had little to no confidence, and Thor was, well, beyond out of his league. It’s like they weren’t even playing the same game.

“Why not? You’re an impressive man. Not to mention you’re kind and caring.” Steve was like this, always pushing Bruce to be the man he believed him to be. 

“Thanks, I should get to work.” Bruce began to walk away from the table, but Steve called him back.

“Hey Bruce? Tell the hunk I say hi.” Steve winked and Bruce rolled his eyes.

Bruce took Steve’s words to heart, as he always spoke the truth and didn’t give compliments lightly. He was going to try and be confident today, and be himself with Thor (assuming he came in). He was an incredible person dammit! He was brilliant and passionate and so many other things, and the Hulk shouldn’t get it the way of that.

...

Eight hours later, Bruce’s shift was ending and it was time to lock up. No Thor today, which was disappointing, seeing as he hadn’t been in for a while. Bruce held out as long as he could, and finally decided it was time to close. 

As soon as he flipped the sign from open to closed, however, a large figure ran up to the door and slammed against it. This of course, caused Bruce to jump and exasperatedly, yet excitedly, open the door.

“Do we have to always meet this way? You scare the living daylights out of me.” Bruce gave Thor a playful smile to let him know he didn’t mind too much. Still, Thor was politely apologetic.

“Ah my friend, my sincerest apologies. I do hope to not scare you off.” He smiled and looked into Bruce’s eyes for a moment until he realized something. “Oh, you are closed. I am sorry to have bothered you.” Thor placed his hand on Bruce’s shoulder briefly and turned to walk away.

Bruce boldly clutched Thor’s retreating hand and stopped him in his tracks. “No, no, come in.” Thor smiled, but not with his usual suave grin. No, his smile was small and a hint of...was that nervousness? played in his eyes. 

Bruce didn’t let go of the man’s hand as he led him back into the store, and Thor showed no sign of wanting to let go. Bruce couldn’t believe how fearless he was being, and decided to ignore the nagging voice in his head when he looked in Thor’s eyes.

He didn’t exactly know where he was going, and ended up unconsciously leading Thor into the romance section. They awkwardly stood there for a bit, still clasping hands, until Bruce motioned to the floor, gesturing for them to sit. At this point, their hands regretfully let go.

“How have you been, Bruce?” Thor asked sincerely, his blue eyes never leaving Bruce’s. This time, Bruce was going to do the same.

“I’ve been doing okay. I don’t exactly love working here.” 

Thor looked confused. “Then why don’t you just leave?” Bruce had to laugh at the innocent expression on his face. How could such a beautiful and strong man be so naive? 

“It’s not that easy…” Bruce couldn’t think of any possible explanation that a man with his intelligence and experience wouldn’t be able to find a job without bringing up the Hulk. 

“What do you desire to do?” Bruce blushed because his instinctual first thought was the man himself, but of course that wasn’t what he was asking.

“Well, I used to be a scientist. I was really great actually, I was going to change the world with my discoveries.” Bruce fell silent in reminiscence of the past, almost forgetting Thor’s presence.

“What happened?” Thor inquired softly, trying to snap Bruce out of his trance without scaring him again.

“There was an accident. I don’t want to talk about it.” Bruce broke eye contact, his confidence wavering. 

“I am sorry, my friend. I understand.” Thor took the man’s small hand in his large one, encompassing him in its warmth. But Bruce pulled away.

“No, you don’t. You couldn’t understand.” He was starting to get angry. How stupid was he to think anything could ever happen between him and Thor, between him and anyone?

“Try me.” Thor said simply, giving Bruce a knowing expression.

“I can’t. And we’re closed.” Bruce’s rage quickly turned to sorrow when he saw the hope drain from Thor’s face. Now, he was angry. 

“Fine. Have a good night Bruce.” His tone was biting, but he still managed to be polite through his rage and disappointment. He slammed the door with such force that the glass shattered and shards flew everywhere. 

“Shit! Look what you did! What the hell is wrong with you?” Bruce’s anger was back, and now Thor’s had completely faded away. He looked more helpless than Bruce had ever seen him, but he couldn’t bring himself to be sympathetic. He was at the point of no return. He needed to get out of there before bad turned to worse.

“Bruce, I am so sorry, I’ll mend this, I promise you.” He blabbered and his eyes grew wide as he saw Bruce’s fuming expression.

“I can’t deal with this now. Just leave.” Bruce’s breathing exercises were in full effect, keeping him at bay, for now. But Thor needed to get out of there.

“No, no, I need to help. I can’t leave like this, you could be in trouble.” Thor didn’t want to feel responsible for Bruce getting in trouble with his job, which was admirable and of course the right thing to do, but not what Bruce needed right now.

Bruce let out an agonizing scream. The Hulk was fighting back, and hard. He began to shake and fell to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a groan, his breathing shallow. He was sweating buckets, and dared a glance at the door, to find that Thor was gone. Thankful for that at least, Bruce let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a cute blockbuster au...sorry for the angst. as always pls leave a comment telling me what you think! <3  
> also feel free to hmu on tumblr @oscorp


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor finds help for Bruce.

Thor didn’t know what to do. Bruce was screaming in pain for reasons unknown and Thor was more scared than he had ever been. He tried to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall in order to focus on how to help Bruce. It seemed like every time he tried to help, he just made matters worse. He couldn’t let that happen this time. 

Bruce was getting worse, convulsing until he finally fell to the ground. Thor was starting to freak out, and sparks of lightning were playing on his hands due to his fear. He knew that if he touched Bruce, he could hurt him even further. Think Thor! Then, it hit him. He bolted out of the store at the realization, hoping Bruce would be safe by himself, but there was no other choice. He hoped this would help him, he didn’t know what he would do otherwise. He shook his head, striving to rid the negative thoughts from his head, it was only causing his own power to consume him further. He looked up at the sky, streaked with flashes of light as the rain poured harshly down. 

Thor used his joyful memories and thoughts of Bruce to propel him forward. Ever since making Midgard his permanent home, Thor had struggled to maintain his happy disposition. Midgard contained many wonderful treasures, such as instant microwaves (close enough to be magic, as far as Thor was concerned), but also many sorrows. Though people here had many freedoms, they acted with the opinions of everyone else weighing down on them. Thor had found, much to his dismay, that two men could not pledge themselves to each other until very recently and so many people continue to disapprove and make their opinions known. Everywhere Thor went, he received critical glances and hostile looks, simply from being different. Then, he met Bruce.

From the moment he met Bruce, he felt like he was different too. He could tell Bruce had been weighed down from the expectations of this world from his tired, yet still beautiful, eyes. Though he obviously regarded Thor as abnormal, he treated him like anyone else, which made Thor happier than he had felt since he had arrived on this planet. Bruce wasn’t exactly kind, not at first, but he was honest. No one in Midgard seemed to tell the truth, a thinly veiled compliment turned out to be an insult, and people would tell you one thing with their mouths, but another entirely with their eyes. Many times Thor had been told to “Have a nice day!”, yet all these people looked as if they didn’t care about his day at all. Soon, Thor began to appreciate Bruce for more than this, and began to notice the small things that made his heart go aflutter. He adored Bruce’s curls, and consistently resisted the urge to run his hands through them, especially when they fell across his face. He loved whenever Bruce gave him a smile, small and unsure as it may be, this made Thor feel like explosions were going off in his chest. The only thing that bothered Thor was that Bruce seemed to be so anxious around him, until tonight. He hoped Bruce realized how wonderful he was, and he vowed that if they made it through tonight, Thor would make sure Bruce knew. 

Finally, a tower in the distance came into view, a glimmering beacon of hope for the weary man. Lights illuminated the skyscraper well known to all the citizens of New York, with a single word shining for everyone to see: Stark.

…

Tony Stark was finally having a relaxing night in with his girlfriend, Pepper. He popped the cork off of a bottle of wine dramatically, as he did everything, and poured each of them a glass. He toasted to a much needed date night, and slid onto the couch next to his love. After a few minutes of talking and drinking, J.A.R.V.I.S. then alerted Tony of an urgent visitor, which he attempted to wave off, but a few moments later, the God of Thunder was standing in the middle of his living room. 

“Stark, I need your help. My friend, I don’t know what’s wrong with him.” Thor looked on the brink of tears, a far cry from the strong and jovial presence Tony was used to. 

“Slow down, tell me what happened. Who’s your friend? What are his symptoms?” Tony was calm and calculated, but he could tell Thor wasn’t going to tolerate that for long.

“We don’t have time! You have to come with me.” Thor looked desperate, but Tony wasn’t about to ruin his date night for nothing. Thor was new to this planet, he could easily have mistaken something fairly normal for something wrong. 

“His name is Bruce. He’s at Blockbuster, the video store, and he just started screaming, and shaking, and convulsing on the ground.” Tony’s eyes widened, and he shared a meaningful glance with Pepper, which Thor did not notice.

“Oh Thor, there’s no need to worry.” Tony thought quickly, trying to find a way to convince Thor to stay away. He didn’t need to be involved with Bruce if he was becoming the Hulk. “He’s just having a seizure. Those will happen here pretty often if someone’s nervous.” Pepper gave him a pointed look at his misinformation, but Thor didn’t know the difference.

“He looked like he was in such agonizing pain..” Thor began, but Tony cut him off. “Yes. Yes, but he’s not. I promise, Thor, he will be ok. I know exactly what we’re dealing with. I’ll just pick him up and he can sleep it off here.” God, Tony hoped this would work. 

“Alright, I shall come with you to ensure his safety.” Thor seemed to have calmed down, but this wouldn’t work. 

“Why don’t you stay here and set up his room? Pepper will show you the way. We don’t want to overwhelm him when he wakes up with too many people, and I might have to help him...regain consciousness.” 

“I don’t know, I’m just worried-” Tony cut him off again. “That’s exactly why you should stay here! If you’re worried, Bruce will know and it could set off another seizure.” Tony was banking on the fact that Thor didn’t know anything about how medical conditions worked on Earth, and he was right.   
“I suppose you’re right. But you bring him straight back here Stark, okay?” Thor sternly asked Tony, who wondered how Bruce and Thor had ever gotten involved with each other.

“You got it buddy. You’ll see Bruce again soon.” With that, Thor followed Pepper down the hallway, and Tony donned his suit, preparing for the worst.

…

Bruce woke up in a bed he didn’t recognize, which was a source of panic for anyone, but especially for him. He racked his brain to recall the events of last night, and everything rushed back to him in a terrible blur. Thor, the door, the Hulk. Did Thor escape? Was he safe? He would never forgive himself if he wasn’t, never. He glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings. It seemed like a normal bedroom, but when he looked out the window, he overlooked most of the city. Where the hell was he? Bruce heard muffled voices outside and quietly stepped over to the door and listened. He made out a woman saying “Did you have to fight him?” and a response from a familiar voice, “No, he had already transformed back. The store was a mess, but otherwise everything seemed ok.” It was Tony. 

Bruce wrapped the bedsheets around his naked waist and opened up the door to Tony and Pepper. “Hey Banner, long time no see!” Tony was always nonchalant and breezy, which was really getting on Bruce’s nerves right about now.

“Where’s Thor?” He said sternly, with the quiet addition of “Did I hurt him?”

“Thor’s fine, no one was hurt. He’s just making breakfast. How do you know him?” 

Bruce avoided Tony’s stupid question (why did it matter?) and sighed in relief that Thor was safe. He couldn’t believe he had lost control so easily, and didn’t understand why his situation was worsening. Was having a heart-wrenching crush causing it? No, Bruce decided. It was because he was trying to hold back from the truth, which was that he wanted Thor, despite his situation. 

“Bruce, really, how did you two meet?” Tony couldn’t comprehend it, not a lot of people knew the God of Thunder now resided on Earth, unless...Bruce didn’t know.

“He’s a customer, okay? He comes in and rents the same movie and we’re friends.” Friends. It was nice to acknowledge that their relationship existed, minor as it may be. “How do you know him?”

Tony looked at Pepper for guidance, but she just shrugged. Tony didn’t want to break the news to Bruce himself, it wasn’t up to him if Thor wanted to be known as the God of Thunder or not. Fortunately, Tony was saved by the man in question turning the corner and locking eyes with Bruce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this next installment! pls leave comments to let me know what you think!!  
> hmu on tumblr @oscorp


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are revealed.

Bruce locked eyes with Thor and everything else melted away. He didn’t care what happened last night, or that they probably shouldn’t be together, because he was here, and he was safe. He took in the man’s appearance as if it was the last time he would ever see him. With everything that had happened, it might as well be the last time. He wanted to memorize the deep blue of his eyes, the long tresses of sunny blonde hair, the rippling biceps, and most of all, the heartened expression on his face. Thor looked relieved to see Bruce, just as much as he was relieved to see Thor. Bruce had never really had anyone he had felt strongly about, even before the incident. He was always too involved in his work and rarely let people in. Then, this crazy man strolled into his life and turned everything upside down. 

Thor’s face broke out into a familiar smile and Bruce couldn’t help it, he cracked a smile big enough to rival the other’s. Thor was surprised at Bruce’s expression, especially considering the last night. But he didn’t care, he was just so glad Bruce was okay, he had been beyond worried. 

“Bruce.” Thor barely whispered, which Bruce mirrored by uttering “Thor.” 

Slowly, Thor took steps closer to the small man. He wished he could run and envelop Bruce in his arms, but didn’t want to overwhelm him. He looked so helpless and tiny, with his only clothing a loosely gathered bedsheet. As Thor got closer, Bruce began to shy away, facing the ground, pulling the cloth tighter around himself. Thor would not stop though, he couldn’t. Finally, they were standing face to face, Bruce looking red in the face and focused on adjusting the sheets to cover himself even further. 

Thor was overly excited and nervous, so that his hands began to spark. He did his best to conceal the brief flash of light, but he saw Bruce’s eyes dart in his direction, and in panic, his hands were soon enveloped in blue bolts of electricity. Bruce jumped back, wide-eyed and confirmed Thor’s worst fears: Bruce would be scared of him. It was ridiculous of him to hold on to the belief that any human would be able to see him past his powers and God status. 

“I’m sorry.” Thor sounded defeated, but Bruce was simply confused. How did this make any scientific sense?

“Your hands are conducting electricity!” Thor mistook the wonder in his voice for revulsion.

Thor sighed, and decided he owed this man the truth. “I’m Thor Odinson of Asgard. I am the God of Thunder.” Bruce’s mesmerized gaze then shifted from Thor’s hands to his poker face. He looked at Thor with the most intense of curiosity, far more than he had ever had for any of his own experiments. 

“How is this - how are you... real?” Bruce’s eyes swept Thor’s entire body and the man felt exposed, even though Bruce was the one solely wearing a sheet around his waist. 

Thor shrugged, surprised Bruce wasn’t incredibly shocked, or angry in the least.   
“Oh my god, you’re a...God.” Bruce shook his head and broke eye contact. The world seemed to be spinning. The man who had a rage monster living inside of him was into a literal God. Even when he believed Thor was a mortal they were never going to happen, and now…

Lost in horrible thought, Bruce tripped on his own foot and fell backwards into the arms of the God. Bruce was humiliated, but when he looked in Thor’s eyes, all he saw was regret.

“I am sorry Bruce. I hope you still wish to remain friends, but I understand if this is too much.” Bruce made no effort to stand up, wanting to rest in the warm muscles as long as he could, and Thor seemed okay with that.

“No, it’s just, that...I’m not good enough for you. I wasn’t before, and I’m definitely not now.” There, he said it, the honest truth. 

Thor’s face shifted instantly from apologetic to disheartened. His eyes lost their sparkle, his mouth formed a grimace, and his grip on Bruce loosened, until the man relinquished his hold and Bruce was forced to stand facing Thor. 

Thor didn’t understand how such a brilliant, kind man could have such a low self-image. His ever constant anger rose as he thought of Bruce’s naivety. He hoped to remedy this. 

“You were the first person on this planet to show me any real kindness. That is not something I will ever forget, Bruce. At the risk of sounding like a loser, you are my best friend here.” 

Bruce was dumbfounded. He was constantly surprised at this beautiful, self-assured man coming back to him, especially now that he knew that Thor was a literal god. Still, his words touched Bruce and made him feel less worthless than he had previously. The issue of the Hulk remained though and was eating away at him. 

“What is it, Bruce?” Thor looked at Bruce’s scrunched-up face with concern, which grew as he came to a realization. “Are you having another seizure?” 

“What? Another seizure..” Bruce trailed off as Tony drew his hand across his throat, signaling for him to shut up. Thor looked confused, and Pepper buried her face in her hands, soon composing herself and dragging a reluctant Tony out of the room. 

Bruce realized Tony must have told Thor his pre-hulk out was a seizure, but he was too late. He couldn’t take his words back now as Thor’s confused look became skeptical and hurt. They gazed at each other in silence for a while, Bruce’s face bright red and full of fear, while Thor became stony faced. Bruce seemed to be pleading him not to say anything, but Thor wasn’t going to let this go that easily. He had been worried and scared beyond anything he had ever felt for a Midgardian the night before and did everything in his power to protect Bruce. He stayed by his side through the evening and never took his eyes off the smaller man. Then, he jeopardized his own identity by showing Bruce who he was truly was. He had done all he could in his power to look after this man and cared for him deeply, and now it was Bruce’s turn. 

“Tell me the truth.” Thor spoke with a quiet ferocity that scared Bruce. He wasn’t scared in the way Thor had previously used to make him feel, when he heard his booming voice, or had a large hand clapped on his shoulder, causing him to jump. This was different; Thor sounded so desperate yet so commanding at once. Perks of being a god, he supposed. He knew he couldn’t avoid the truth any longer, so he rose his watery eyes towards Thor. It was time to say goodbye.

“I turn into a giant green rage monster when I’m angry.” Bruce attempted to say this as nonchalantly as possibly, but his tone dripped with shame and embarrassment. He tore his eyes away from Thor before he could sense said man’s reaction.

“I want to see.” Thor spoke clearly and without any sense of fear. 

“Are you an idiot? The Hulk would crush you.” Bruce almost laughed at Thor’s casual confidence, but fear quickly came creeping back in. He didn’t even want to think about hurting this man he cared for so dearly. 

Thor let out an unexpected booming laugh. “So the beast has a name?” His large grin seemed as if it was inviting Bruce to smile, who couldn’t get over the absurdity of the situation. He felt as if Thor was making fun of him and turned away from the man. 

Thor realized his mistake and placed a hand on his shoulder, noticing Bruce did not flinch this time, and slowly turned him back around. Bruce kept his head down, which Thor raised with a soft graze of fingertips across the man’s chin. 

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Bruce breathed, the words slipping out unwillingly from the surprising sensation of Thor’s caring caress. 

Thor responded by cupping his hands around Bruce’s face, pulling him ever so slightly closer. “You could never hurt me.” His eyes looked into Bruce’s travelling into the deepest parts of his soul, understanding his pain and throwing it away. He saw all Bruce’s fears and insecurities, and claimed them all to false, reassuring Bruce of who he is. 

“But..” Bruce began, knowing the god would interrupt, craving his compassion and hoping to stay close enough to feel Thor’s warm breath. 

“I am the God of Thunder. I have fought many battles in my 1500 years and..” This time, Bruce interrupted him, his shock allowing him to momentarily forget the situation. 

“Wait a minute, did you say 1500 years? Like 365 day years?” He didn’t know if time worked differently on whatever alien planet Thor was from. He shook his head in disbelief, making Thor chuckle at the incredulous look on his face and dropped his hands, much to Bruce’s disappointment. 

“Yes dear Bruce, I have lived 1500 years. In these years I have destroyed armies of horrific beasts. I promise you that you cannot destroy me. Even if you did, what better way to go than in the arms of someone you love?” Thor did not realize the error in what he said until he noticed Bruce’s face. All the color had drained from his once red cheeks and his eyes were round in horror. His mouth was agape and Thor felt more humiliated than he had in his very long life. 

“I mean you’re my friend and…” Thor trailed off as something changed in Bruce’s face. 

Bruce had never loved anyone before, much less been loved in return, so he couldn’t tell you exactly what it felt like, but he could safely assume it was something like how he felt in this exact moment. At first, only shock registered within him. His head was full of a repetitive string of “love” in Thor’s husky voice. His body was warmed with the ghost of Thor’s touch; a pat on the shoulder, a brush of fingers, and his large calloused hands encompassing his face. All the feelings he had repressed from their first encounter came rushing to him with incredible force. His heart felt full and he was granted a sudden burst of confidence that propelled him forward, and next thing he knew, he was pushing his lips onto Thor’s.

It wasn’t a graceful kiss by any means, it was raw, with the intensity of emotions that had been pent up for months and the thrusting out of insecurities that had been with Bruce all his life. Thor was stationary for what felt like forever, but just as Bruce started to pull away, the god fervently pressed back with a passionate zeal and strength that caused the smaller man to stumble backwards. Thor quickly solved this problem by pulling Bruce upwards, wrapping his skinny legs around the god’s hips. This marvel went on until Bruce could no longer breathe, and reluctantly threw his head back, which only encouraged Thor to plant kisses on the man’s neck and collarbone. Bruce squirmed and giggled. He wasn’t used to this sensation and it tickled more than anything. His hands were awkwardly at his sides, so he wrapped them around Thor’s neck and looked at his love’s smiling face. Bruce blushed, but not because he was embarrassed. He simply wasn’t used to so much attention, and Thor’s hungry gaze was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. After what seemed like an eternity of simply looking at each other, mirroring each other’s pure elation, Bruce cleared his throat.

“So uh...I hear there’s this good sushi place downtown.” He glanced at Thor’s still smiling face, and couldn’t believe he was wrapped around this hunk. Thor’s obvious hotness was one thing, but what Bruce found really unbelievable was how Thor listened to him, cared for him, and made him feel like the prettiest picture in the art gallery.

“What on Midgard is sushi?” Thor’s confusion caused Bruce to giggle again. Bruce never giggled. He felt like the teenage girl in all those rom coms Thor seemed to love who fell in love with the star quarterback on the football team, who discovered she was beautiful behind her glasses.  
Bruce decided to ignore the foreign word Thor had uttered in anticipation of an answer. “It’s food, normally fish, wrapped in some other stuff.” If possible, Thor’s eyes seemed to brighten. 

“Do you wish to court?” Bruce’s brow furrowed in confusion and then realized Thor was asking if this was a date. 

“Yes, I would really like to, if you would.” Bruce gave Thor a slightly unsure smile, which granted him a soft kiss on the forehead, which felt magical. 

“I would love nothing more, my dear.” Bruce’s smile grew to match his new boyfriend’s and he felt completely content for the first time that he could remember since the Hulk became a part of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you all liked this fic, and thank you thank you for all your feedback! i really enjoyed writing this, and will write more thor/bruce in the future. as always, leave comments to let me know what you think and you can hmu on tumblr @oscorp


End file.
